US 9,756,123 B2 · Group owner renegotiation in a wireless network

Abstract

A method and apparatus for group owner (GO) renegotiation are provided. For example, the method and apparatus may be used for GO renegotiation in a wireless personal network (WPAN), for example, a 60-gigahertz (60 GHz) peer-to-peer (P2P) wireless network. The incumbent group owner (e.g., personal base station set (PBSS) control point (PCP)) controls the operation of the group. GO renegotiation can occur, for example, when a newly arriving device (e.g., a prospective group owner) is trying to connect to the PBSS and/or, for example, with PCP rearrangement among members of an existing group. As an example, after the formation of the group, the PCP may want to relinquish the role of being the PCP. A procedure is described for deciding among clients and the PCP which device will assume the role of group owner from the existing PCP in the event the role of group owner is to be reassigned.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, in a first wireless device acting as an incumbent group owner in a wireless peer-to-peer network, comprising:

receiving a first group ownership suitability indicator from a second wireless device acting as a prospective group owner for the wireless peer-to-peer network, the first group ownership suitability indicator indicative of a suitability of the second wireless device to serve as a group owner and representative of a relative suitability of the second wireless device for group ownership on the basis of at least one of:
an ability to support beamforming among multiple wireless devices;
a type of power source;
and a likelihood of the second wireless device remaining stationary;
and
negotiating group ownership with the second wireless device based on the first group ownership suitability indicator.

3 more elements

A first wireless device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;
a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver;
and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store instructions executable by the processor to manipulate the processor to:
configure the first wireless device to act as an incumbent group owner in a wireless peer-to-peer network;
receive a first group ownership suitability indicator from a second wireless device acting as a prospective group owner for the wireless peer-to-peer network, the first group ownership suitability indicator indicative of a suitability of the second wireless device to serve as a group owner and representative of a relative suitability of the second wireless device for group ownership on the basis of at least one of:
an ability to support beamforming among multiple wireless devices;
a type of power source;
and a likelihood of the second wireless device remaining stationary;
and
negotiate group ownership with the second wireless device based on the first group ownership suitability indicator.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Group owner renegotiation in a wireless network

Life of this patent

Group owner renegotiation in a wireless network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20